Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to pyrotechnical devices and in particular to a new and useful device particularly adapted for indicating hits on targets and which includes a plurality of separate signal charge compositions.
The devices for indicating hits on targets such as moving vehicles are known for example as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,418; Canadian Pat. No. 9,997,960 and Swiss Pat. No. 535,727.
To simulate gun shots or hits during military practice or maneuvers, it is known to equip wheeled or tracklaying vehicles with devices for firing pyrotechnical detonating bodies. With such devices, shots or hits can be simulated acoustically and optically. The pyrotechnical bodies are detonated electrically by the crew of the practicing armored vehicle.
In prior art devices, while igniting and setting off the detonating body, thus simulating the shot, a pulse of light is transmitted simultaneously, which, if a hit is scored, is automatically registered by the fought or opposed vehicle. Such a hit is indicated on the opposed vehicle, for example, by an electric lamp which is switched on by the transmitted pulse of light. The lighting up of the lamp is an indication for the umpire that the fought vehicle has been hit and is to be eliminated from further combat exercise.
This manner of simulating shots and hits has proved satisfactory in general, however, under many combat and weather conditions, the lighting up of a hit indicating lamp is not sufficiently perceivable. For example, if the vehicle is disguised by camouflage, or during invisibility caused by fog, etc.
In view of these limits given by the concept of the devices, it has been proposed (German Utility Model No. 7,714,039), while still utilizing the fire equipment and the basic structure and mode of operation of the known pyrotechnical bodies employed for simulating shots and hits, to provide the pyrotechnical body with a pyrotechnical flare composition. The geometry and spatial accommodation of this flare composition in the pyrotechnical body corresponds to those of a detonating composition. As to making use of the flare composition, it has further been proposed to designate only one of the many discharging cups of which the firing device is assembled, for receiving the pyrotechnical body comprising the flare composition.
Even though this alternative arrangement of a detonating and a flare composition in the pyrotechnical body would meet the requirements of simulating hits better and in a way closer to actual combat conditions, it still does not correspond to all possible or imaginable hit patterns on or in armored wheeled or tracklaying vehicles. For this reason, the present invention is directed to a pyrotechnical body simultaneously comprising a plurality of different signal compositions.
In accordance with the present invention, a firing device which may be set off for example by a light control such as a laser control includes a housing containing a plurality of separate compartments which are filled with separate types of signal charges and which are arranged so that they may be set off at separate timed intervals. The signal charges advantageously include a fireball signal composition which is connected by pyrotechnic ignition devices to a smoke signal charge which in turn is connected to a report signal charge. The pyrotechnic igniting devices may advantageously include delay means for effecting the delay between the various charges and the charges may be arranged in any desired sequence.
A development of the inventive idea provides that by arranging the signal compositions in a pyrotechnical body spatially behind or above one another, it becomes easy to selectively obtain the following signalling sequences:
1. report-fire ball-smoke PA1 2. report-smoke-fire ball PA1 3. smoke-fire ball-report, and PA1 4. fire ball-smoke-report.
According to a further development of the invention, a laser-produced pulse of external light may be used for igniting the respective first signal composition.
The invention has a variety of advantages:
Aside from the possibility of further utilizing the commonly employed firing devices with their discharging cups even while applying the invention, the geometry of the pyrotechnical bodies themselves is not changed or modified either.
The principle advantage of the invention is that the fighting units may now selectively simulate any pattern of hits occurring during practice or maneuvers, on or in armored wheeled or tracklaying vehicles.
Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide a firing device for indicating target hits particularly on armored wheeled or tracklaying vehicles which comprises a housing having a plurality of separate spaced apart charge receiving chambers therein, one of the chambers containing a distinct first signal charge composition and at least one of the others containing a second signal charge composition and wherein the first and second charge compositions are disposed in spaced relationship with means for igniting the first composition being connected to the first signal charge and pyrotechnical propagation charge means disposed between the remainder of the signal charges and the first signal charge for selectively igniting the charges in a controlled sequence.
A further object of the invention is to provide a firing device which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.